Dramione One-Shots
by cupcake0118
Summary: A collection of Dramione one-shots, mostly romance. Rated T for language, may change to M if I add anything dark or sexy. If you have an idea for a one-shot, feel free to PM me :)
1. Promises

**Roses are red**

**Violets are blue**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is sad, but true**

* * *

All he could see beyond the frosted window was black. Matte black, as if the night air had swallowed his feelings, then regurgitated them as a piece of art; hanging in front of him, mocking him.

His left hand grazed his scalp, sending his platinum blonde hair into further disarray. His right hand gripped the glass of Firewhiskey – his fourth now, or was it fifth? He snorted as he sloppily brought the drink to his lips. What did it matter how much he drank? Nothing mattered. Not since –

The crystal glass slipped from his long fingers as two pin pricks of light cut through the emptiness outside his window. He pressed his face against the glass, his cheek coming away slick from the condensation. His heart sped up as the lights got closer, winding along the driveway towards the manor. As the car came to a stop in front of the front door, he barely held back a sob of relief as he saw a mop of brown hair appear from the driver's side.

He turned with a swish of his black robes and crossed the room in two strides. He took the stairs three at a time, pride only briefly flaring when he considered how much alcohol he had actually consumed in the last two days. He made it to the front door just as a timid knock sounded from the other side. His breath caught in his throat as he ran a hand through his hair one last time, and attempted to stop shaking as he reached for the handle.

She gasped as the door opened. He looked far worse than she had imagined.

"Merlin, Draco!" She half yelled, half sobbed, "What have you done to yourself?"

He shrugged half-heartedly, simply stepping back and allowing her to pass him into the sitting room.

She turned to face him as she reached the centre of the room, and his heart fell a little further into his stomach as he registered that she had not taken her coat off. He panicked; was this finally it? Was she finally ready to leave him?

"Draco, I..." She began, small hands twisted together in front of her.

"You're leaving?" Draco supplied hollowly.

"What? I – no, I mean..." she blew out a breath causing a few stray curls to fly around her face, "I want this," she gestured between them, "I want us...I want us to work," her voice cracked on the last syllable and he stepped towards her. She held up her hands, palms facing him, to stop him.

"Hermione, I'm sorry," his voice was raw and hoarse. Probably from his alternating between screaming and silence for the past forty-eight hours.

"I know you are," Hermione said softly, "I am too. We both said a lot of things we didn't mean. We come from different worlds, Draco."

"Right," he scoffed, "You're the light, and I'm the dark."

"I didn't mean that," Hermione whispered, "I only meant that we are two different people, who have different views and opinions. Both of us also happen to be rather stubborn and set in our ways. We fight, Draco, that's just us."

"I don't like it, Hermione," Draco bit out, "I don't like it one bit. The yelling and the fighting and you leaving for days at a time. I've been worried fucking sick, do you get that? No owl, no call...I bought those blasted phones, and nothing! You asked what I've done to myself; I drank, Hermione, ok? I drank fuck loads of Firewhiskey, trying to drown out the nagging little voice in my head that kept telling me that you weren't coming back. That I'd finally fucked it up royally, and you'd woken up and realised that I am the awful person your friends and family still tell you I am."

"That's un-"

"What? Unfair?" Draco drove his fist into the back of the armchair he was leaning against, "Bullshit! Don't think I don't know what they say behind my back! I've heard it! I've read the letters you think you could hide from me; I know all of it, Hermione!"

"Draco, please," Hermione's bottom lip was trembling and her eyes were watery and red rimmed. Draco snapped his mouth shut and exhaled heavily through his nose.

"I'm sorry," He muttered after a few moments of silence. He kept his head down, speaking to the plush red carpet, "I want you, Hermione, all of you. I want your prissy attitude, and your annoying nagging, and your stupid friends who think I'm no good. I want every single thing about you, good and bad. That's what a relationship is. Or it is to me, at least. But you run every time it gets a little bit hard. I'm constantly on the edge, terrified you're going to take off one day, and I'll end up with Potter and Weasley on my doorstep a few days later saying they're here to collect your things because you're not coming back," his voice had dropped to barely a whisper.

"Oh, Draco," Hermione had stepped up behind him, and he felt his body relax as her arms wound around him, "I'm sorry for running," she whispered.

He turned in her arms so he could wrap his around her waist.

"I could never leave you, no matter what I say in the heat of the moment. We get so intense sometimes and I fear that if I don't leave to cool off, we're just going to add fuel to the fire. I'm sorry for making you feel insecure."

He pulled back and looked down at her, placing two fingers under her chin to force her gaze upwards. His hand slid to the base of her neck as her eyes locked on his, and he inched his face lower.

"Promise me you'll stop running," he murmured against her lips.

"I promise," she breathed, before closing the gap and claiming his mouth with hers.


	2. Stay

**Roses are red**

**Violets are blue**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is sad, but true**

* * *

It was too quiet, Draco thought. He was propped on his side, balancing on his elbow as he watched her searching for clothes in the darkness. He could hear the rustling as she groped at the floor and the desk near the door. There was the slight grunt as her toe collided with his desk chair. There was his breathing, still shallow after their tryst, and his heartbeat in his ears galloping faster than normal. But still it was too quiet. There was something missing.

"Granger," he whispered. She jerked upwards from attempting to pull her jeans on, and looked at him over her shoulder. Merlin, she was sexy. Her jeans were at her hips, and she was topless. Her long, curly hair was thrown haphazardly over her shoulders and her lips, swollen and red from his kisses, were slightly parted in shock. They usually completed this part of their nights in silence.

Realising she was waiting for him to say something, Draco opened his mouth. But he could not think of what to say. 'Please stay with me'?, 'I know we're just two people who shag, but would you mind letting me hold you tonight'? He shook his head, and settled for looking into her chocolate coloured eyes and slowly moving into a sitting position. He reached out and pulled the covers back on the other side of the bed, then patted the mattress. She raised an eyebrow at him. He tugged his lips into a half smile to substitute as a 'please?'

She bit her lip, contemplating. Draco could almost see the battle going on in her head. He held his breath as he waited. Finally, she sighed, shimmied out of her jeans and came to join him on the bed. She sat and looked expectantly at him, cross legged and still naked except for her lacey underwear.

"Stay with me," he breathed.

"Why?" She whispered back.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"I'm going to need more than that, Draco."

He fidgeted with the edge of the sheet currently resting across his hips. He had not stopped to think properly about the relationship – or lack thereof – between him and Hermione Granger, and he was not sure he was ready to yet. It was not just about the difference of blood, or positions in the war, or even house rivalry. Draco had no idea what he felt for the Gryffindor witch. All he knew right then, at one in the morning on Saturday, was that he was not ready for her to leave yet. He was satisfied, and he knew he did not want her to stay for more sex, but that thought scared him as it would force him to think about what they were to each other. He shook his head, realising Hermione was still waiting for an answer.

"What if I can't give you one just yet?"

Hermione cocked her head to the side, "Then I don't know if I want to stay," she finally said, moving to get off the bed.

"Wait!" Draco leant forward and gently latched on to her wrist, "Please don't leave, not yet."

"Why not? This was never meant to be anything more than a mutually beneficial arrangement so we could get rid of some tension in preparation for our NEWTs."

Draco snorted, "Trust you to reduce this to something akin to exam preparation."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and Draco backpedalled, "Look, Granger, I – "

"You're impossible!" Hermione stood up, "You can't even call me by my first name! And until you can do so, this is just sex, Draco. I'm not going to put myself out there to get my feelings trampled all over. That was why we came up with the deal. No strings, no feelings, no broken hearts. Right?"

He nodded mutely, and began watching her again as she dressed.

"Shit!" She exclaimed as she stubbed her toe again, "I can't find my shirt! I'm just going to wear yours, alright? I'll wash it before I give it back..." she trailed off as she caught sight of Draco's face, "Or I could just burn it..."

Draco shook his head, "No," his voice was strangled, "Come here," he said it so softly, Hermione's eyes widened and she felt her legs move towards him without her permission.

He took her hands in his once she was close enough, and tugged her down on to the bed so she was hovering over him. His hands trailed up her arms, to her face, then back down again. He slid them down over her hips, then back up under her shirt – _his_ shirt – to touch the soft flesh of her abdomen.

"Fuck," he whispered.

"What?"

"I...I don't know what this is, Granger," he said thickly, "but I know I want something...something more, than just a label-less, mutually beneficial, _arrangement._"

Hermione's breath hitched, "Then what do you want?"

"You," his eyes locked on hers and he pulled her down for a searing kiss. Fireworks exploded behind Hermione's eyes, as they often did when they kissed, but she pulled back after a few seconds.

"I don't know what that means," she whispered.

"It means that I want to figure it out. I know we weren't meant to get feelings involved, but I...I don't know. I guess I've wanted more for a while now, and just seeing you in my shirt...it made it clear, you know?"

Hermione nodded, though she still looked confused.

"Please just stay with me tonight? I can't promise I have all the answers, but I promise we can talk tomorrow and figure it out." He nuzzled her neck, leaving tiny kisses along her shoulder.

"Ok," she breathed, and sank down next to him. He pulled her towards him, tucking her head under his chin as she rested on his chest.

"Goodnight, Draco," she murmured.

"Goodnight..." he took a deep breath, "Hermione."


	3. I'm In

**Roses are red**

**Violets are blue**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is sad, but true**

* * *

Their eyes locked across the Great Hall, piercing grey meeting warm brown. He started to smirk, but stopped as he took in her icy glare. He frowned, confused, as he followed her gaze which had slipped to the girl next to him. Astoria was leaning against his right shoulder, which was nothing unusual. The whole of Hogwarts knew they were together; had been since just after the war.

Draco lifted his head to glance back towards the Gryffindor table, only to find that the object of his confusion was no longer in her seat. Instead, she was almost at the doors of the hall. Her head was down, her back hunched with the weight of her bag, and she was clutching several books which would not fit in her bag to her chest.

Hermione quickened her pace as she left the Great Hall. She had assured Harry and Ron she was fine when she had abruptly stood from the table, and left in the middle of dinner. She had feigned a headache, to which Harry had offered to take her to Madam Pomfrey, but when she had explained it was attributed to, _ahem_, that time of the month, he had abruptly sat back down, a blush staining his cheeks while he mumbled incoherently something about 'leaving her to it, then'.

She was panting by the time she reached the library and she gratefully sank down into a chair near the restricted section. She sighed, leaning forward to rest her head on the cool surface of the desk as she tried to catch her breath. She knew it was stupid – really, really stupid – having feelings for Draco Malfoy. He was taken, for one, and not interested in her for another. He was a pureblood with an elitist family, and she was a muggleborn with no reputability except for her magical talent (which she worked damn hard for, mind you), and a title of 'war heroine' thanks to the second wizarding war. While some may have thought that would be more than enough to attract a Malfoy, they had not entirely rejected their views on blood status, and no amount of medals or plaques would warm them to the idea of fraternizing with anyone outside their precious, pure circle. The pair had also hated each other for as long as Hermione could remember, though she was starting to think she had never actually hated Draco.

She sighed, shifting so her arms were crossed over the desk before placing her head back down, nuzzling her face into the sleeves of her robes. Hermione could not remember exactly when she had begun to feel something for the blonde Slytherin. She had always thought he was attractive, though she had never admitted it to anyone. She supposed it was his change in demeanour at the beginning of the new school year. Despite what she knew of his awful attitude towards her and those with her blood status, he had been completely cordial to her all year, and not once had he engaged in a fight with Harry or Ron...or anyone for that matter.

All she knew was that she had fallen hard for Draco Malfoy, and he was in love with Astoria Greengrass. The rumour was that they were to be married after graduation. Hermione groaned softly imagining herself as a bride, walking down the aisle towards the blonde wizard, looking handsome as usual in his dress robes. She couldn't help the lone tear that escaped her eye lashes and ran down her cheek. It was a silly school girl fantasy, and she hated herself for letting a boy upset her so much. But before long, the gnawing pain from a lost love which she never really did have in the first place overtook her and she began to sob.

That was how Draco found her a little while later. She was hunched over her arms, her shoulders shaking slightly with the force of her sobs.

"Granger?" He asked, quietly approaching her from behind.

She sat up quickly and whipped around to face him. Her eyes were red rimmed, her face was blotchy and tears still streaked down her cheeks.

"Bloody hell," he swore, "What's wrong?"

Hermione's lower lip trembled and she shook her head.

"Granger," Draco warned as he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down, "I know something is wrong, and I know I have something to do with it. Now spit it out."

Hermione wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and took a deep, shaky breath.

"I'm an idiot, Malfoy." She whispered.

He laughed in response. An honest, true laugh. Hermione cursed him as she felt her stomach flip over a few times.

"I've known you for a long time, Granger, and I can honestly say that one thing you most certainly are _not_, is an idiot."

She chose not to respond, clamping her teeth together and focusing very hard on her fingers which were twisted together in front of her.

She heard Draco sigh beside her. "Talk to me," he pleaded.

"Why should I?" Hermione sulked.

"Because you have nothing to lose with me," he reasoned, sounding rather proud of himself, "Potty and Weasel are too close and will come to your rescue, meddling in your affairs as if you're some damsel in distress. But you're not, are you Granger?"

Hermione shook her head, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to talk to you either, Malfoy."

"Why are you crying?" He demanded.

"None of your business," Hermione bit out, feeling a little more of her usual strength returning. This was safe, she thought, arguing with Malfoy was normal and safe.

He sighed again, "I'm making it my business. You stormed out of the Hall after looking at me. So what did I do this time?"

"Nothing," Hermione whispered, standing to leave, "It's been wonderful, Malfoy, but I have to get back to the common room." She reached down to pick up her bag, but Draco grabbed her wrist and tugged her back in to her seat. She felt her resolve crumbling, the stress of carrying her secretly broken heart around for the last few months finally taking its toll.

"It's not fair!" She sobbed quietly, "Everyone is pairing up around me – Ron and Parvarti, Harry and Ginny, Neville and Hannah...shit, even Luna's with someone. Trust me to fall for the one bloody guy I can never have."

Draco sat stunned for a moment as he watched the brunette witch sob uncontrollably into her hands.

"Don't tell me you fell for Hagrid?" he bumped her shoulder lightly and he heard her half groan, half giggle.

"You prat," she whispered, her head still in her arms.

"Granger..." he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't worry, Malfoy. I've had this conversation a thousand times in my head. I know how it goes. I know it's impossible. I'm just having a moment of weakness. I'll be fine in a little while. You can go now. I promise I won't tell anyone."

When Draco did not reply, Hermione assumed he had left, so she lifted her head only to meet his cool gaze. She flinched as his hand came out to stroke her cheek, removing the remnants of tears from her face.

"What..." she trailed off as Draco moved his hand to cup her cheek, then leaned in and pressed his lips to hers. Hermione felt a warmth spread from where they were connected to every part of her being. Her head swam as his lips moved against hers. It was everything she had dreamed, and more. But all too soon, he pulled back and it was over.

"Granger," he whispered hoarsely as he dropped his hand from her face, "I think you should know that I've wanted to do that for a really long time."

He grinned as he pulled back and looked into her face.

"But...but..."

"But nothing," He shook his head, "Astoria and I were pushed together by our parents. They're hoping for a union between the wealthy Malfoy and the powerful Greengrass families. I have no more romantic interest in her than I do in the Giant Squid."

"And me?" Hermione squeaked.

"You," Draco smirked, leaning forwards to capture both Hermione's hands in his, "Are who I've wanted since third year."

"Third year?" Hermione's eyebrows shot up into her hairline.

"When you punched me," Draco nodded, grinning at the memory.

Hermione laughed, "Really?"

"Really," Draco leaned forward again, taking Hermione's face in both of his, "It's not going to be easy. If we do this, we're going to have a lot of opposition. But I'm in, if you are."

"What the hell is happening," Hermione murmured, feeling giddy as she looked into Draco's eyes. She could see the truth in them, swirling with the lust and want.

"I'm in," she finally breathed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he crashed his lips to hers.


	4. My Father Be Damned

**Roses are red**

**Violets are blue,**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is sad, but true**

* * *

It felt wrong, standing on the familiar platform, staring at the familiar red train engine, without her two best friends beside her. Sure, Neville was there but he was standing with his Gran and Hannah Abbott. And Luna was there, but she had her nose in an upside-down copy of the _Quibbler._ Ginny was also around, though she had left Hermione to find her friends from her own year. _Their year_, Hermione supposed. She sighed and tugged her trunk towards the train. For the first time in eight years, there was no one to say goodbye to. Hermione fought back the tears as she made her way to the front of the train, where she was expected to sit as she had been made Head Girl.

As she approached the compartment reserved for the Head students, she noticed that the door was already open. She frowned, but continued to drag her trunk behind her.

"Granger," a voice drawled as she appeared in the doorway. Hermione gasped and dropped her trunk with a loud _thud._

"D-Draco!" She stammered, and for a split second she saw the boy in front of her flinch, "What are you doing here?"

"I thought that would have been obvious," he sniffed, his indifferent mask back in place.

"Don't tell me – " Hermione groaned and inwardly fought the urge to stamp her foot.

Draco flashed the gold pin on the front of his robes. It matched the one pinned to Hermione's own chest. She groaned again and threw herself down in the seat opposite him. A wave of her wand closed and locked the compartment door, and a flick ensured they would not be overheard.

"Whoa, Granger," Draco smirked, "If you wanted a repeat of the summer so badly, you could have just said so."

_Slap!_

Hermione was glowering over Draco, her face flushed and her breathing unsteady. Draco looked up at her in shock, his left hand cradling his cheek.

"Don't you _dare_!" Hermione spat, "It might not have meant anything to you, you insufferable, chauvinistic, bigoted _prat_! But you will not reduce it to some sordid affair. At least not to my face." She sat back down, the fight seeming to have left her as she rested her head against the window.

"Granger?" Draco spoke after a few minutes of silence. Hermione opened her eyes warily to face Draco, and he noticed they were glassy. He gulped, "I'm sorry for what I said."

Hermione sighed, nodded once then closed her eyes and leant against the window once again.

"I didn't mean that...shit," he laughed humourlessly, "I don't know what I meant."

"It's fine, Malfoy."

"Oh, we're back to Malfoy now?"

"Am I Hermione to you?"

Draco paused. "Fair point," he conceded. "You know, I didn't mean for all this to happen; to hurt you."

"Leave it," Hermione muttered, "We have work to do."

"No," Draco shook his head, "We cannot possibly work together effectively if this is hanging over our heads. We need to talk about it. I am sorry for the way I broached the subject. It was immature, and I have no excuse other than I was nervous."

"Nervous?" Hermione snorted, "The Great and Powerful Draco Malfoy, _nervous_?"

"Happens more than you think, Granger," Draco grimaced.

"Why?" She demanded.

Draco huffed, "Because, you daft bint, you walked in here looking all..." he waved erratically up and down in her general direction, "And I just...I don't know. For a moment I couldn't think of a reason _not_ to push you against the compartment wall, my Father be damned."

Hermione blinked a few times then sat up straight, "What the fuck, Draco?"

His eyes widened at her language. He fought a smirk, and rightly so.

Hermione groaned, rubbing both hands down over her face. "I think I have made my feelings about us clear. It's your turn to talk. What do you propose we do for the rest of the year to ensure we both come out in one piece?"

Draco cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together between them.

"I don't know," he answered quietly, "I know what I said and I meant it. My father would not approve of our..._relationship,_" Hermione rolled her eyes, "and that would put you in danger."

"I think, after last May, I've proven that I'm more than capable of facing danger and living through it," Hermione crossed her arms over her chest and stuck her nose in the air. Draco sighed and fought the urge to yell at her.

"You don't know my father; what he's capable of," he said through gritted teeth. "He may have escaped Azkaban, thanks to you and Potter, but there is no way his views on blood have changed, and there is nothing more important to him than keeping the Malfoy name – for the lack of a better word – _pure_." Hermione began to say something, but Draco held up a hand to silence her. He leaned back in his seat, "If he knew about us, he would do anything to ensure you were permanently out of the picture...and I mean _anything_."

"He's under house arrest, Malfoy," Hermione scoffed, flipping her hair out of her eyes.

"Doesn't matter," Draco shook his head emphatically. "He'll hurt you, Granger, I promise you that. And I also promise that I won't let that happen." He dropped his head back down to lock eyes with Hermione. Her breath hitched and she forced herself to swallow.

"We could keep it a secret?" She suggested, instantly regretting her words as she realised how pathetic she sounded.

Draco gave her a small, sad smile. "I'm engaged, Hermione." He said it in a whisper, as if the softness of his voice would ease the stabbing his words sent through her heart.

"Wh...what?" Hermione gasped.

Draco hung his head, "My father...over the summer..." he let out a harsh breath and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. "He forged a contract with another powerful pureblood family, one who didn't take sides in the war. He thinks my marriage will help restore the family name."

Hermione's eyes were wide, her hands burned with the force of clutching at the plush seat beneath her, "Who?" she muttered.

"Astoria Greengrass," Draco breathed, "She's two years below us – "

"Daphne's sister," Hermione said flatly. Draco nodded.

"Hmm," was Hermione's reply.

"I – "

"Do you have feelings for her?" Hermione demanded, her voice stronger now. She locked gazes with Draco and raised an eyebrow expectantly.

"No!" Draco half stood, then plopped back down, "Merlin, no! She's young, and immature, and so, _so_ annoying. I'd rather be engaged to one of Hagrid's bloody pet monsters!" He squeezed his eyes shut as if fighting off a terrible headache.

"So there's no chance..." Hermione trailed off but Draco saw the slight motion of her hand waving between the two of them.

He shook his head. "My father is adamant. The contract has been drawn up, signed by both parties. She's wearing my Great-Grandmother's ring. The wedding is set for just after I graduate."

"They're not letting her finish her studies?" Hermione was outraged for a moment, and Draco chuckled then smirked.

"Really, Granger?" He teased, "The love of your life is being pawned off to some bimbo, and you're worried about the stupid chit's _education_?"

Hermione sniffed indelicately, "I just think it's unfair. And I've never called you that."

Draco grinned, "Well, I do distinctly remember you telling me that you lo-"

"DON'T!" Yelled Hermione, tears in her eyes. Draco's jaw snapped shut, and he stood.

"I'm sorry." He said as he moved to kneel in front of her, "Really, I am. If I had a choice, I'd choose you." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear and then rested his hand on her cheek. She allowed herself a moment to lean into it gently.

"You always have a choice, Draco." Hermione whispered. She swiped her eyes with the back of her hand, effectively forcing him away from her.

"Not this time," Draco stood but did not return to his seat.

"No excuses," Hermione bit out, "If I meant anything to you...if _us_ was what you wanted, then you'd do anything to make it happen."

She was standing now too, their bodies pressing against each other in the small space.

"How do you know I'm not already doing something?" Draco whispered as he took an infinitesimal step forward.

"Because we wouldn't have had this conversation if you were," Hermione countered.

"Ah, Granger," Draco smirked, "You're not the know-it-all everyone believes you are."

"Enlighten me then, Malfoy."

"No," Draco replied simply, before leaning forwards until his lips brushed Hermione's.

As he was about to deepen the kiss, his arms raised to tangle in her hair, there was a knock from the other side of the door. Hermione instantly pulled back and Draco swore as they heard who was on the other side.

"Drakie?" A voice whined. "Are you in there?"

"Your fiancée?" Hermione raised an eyebrow. Draco nodded once. "Well, open the door." He could have sworn he saw the brunette smirk, but he quickly undid the charms Hermione had placed on their compartment and the door slid open.

In the door way stood a short, blonde girl Hermione did not recognise. She had light green eyes, and her hair was in ringlets halfway down her back.

"Drakie!" She shrieked, and launched herself at Draco, wrapping her thin arms around his neck. Hermione caught the flash of green and silver on her left hand.

"Astoria," Draco said so formerly that Hermione had to hide her laughter by faking a coughing fit. Draco glared at her over his shoulder, which only served to send Hermione into more hysterics.

Astoria pouted. "Come and sit with me, sweetie. No need to associate with such _filth_ when you don't have to."

Hermione swore she heard Draco's teeth grind together. "I'll thank you for not speaking to our Head Girl in such a rude manner," he frowned, "and I have to stay here, we're waiting to address the prefects."

Astoria rolled her eyes, "Whatever," she huffed then brightened instantly, "I'll save you a seat at the feast then, darling." She batted her mascara-coated eyelashes and leapt up to kiss Draco on the mouth.

Hermione felt sick, and turned away.

Draco growled as the door shut behind Astoria who was now flouncing down the corridor, but paused to blow him a kiss over her shoulder.

"Ok, Granger." He rounded on Hermione, his eyes flashing, "I changed my mind."

Hermione's eyes widened in question.

"If I marry that bint, I'll be sent to Azkaban as punishment for her death within a week. I'd rather face my father's wrath than be stuck with her forever. I promise I won't let him hurt you, I just need your wonderfully over-sized brain to help me think of a way I can get out of this mess!"

"Over-sized brain? Gee, you really know how to charm a woman, Malfoy."

Draco groaned in frustration, gripping his hair in both hands.

Hermione rolled her eyes at his theatrics, "I'll help you," she said, and Draco's eyes lit up, "on one condition."

He frowned. "What?"

"I never have to see that Barbie doll affix herself to your lips again." The look of disgust on Hermione's face caused Draco to grin.

"Done," he promised, as he pulled her up from her seat, slammed her into the wall and lowered his head to hers in a passionate kiss he had been dying to bestow upon her since she first entered the compartment.


	5. Stuck

A/N: Written for the wonderful Jeffry! Thanks for the inspiration :)

**Roses are red**

**Violets are blue**

**I don't own Harry Potter**

**This is sad, but true**

* * *

The grass crunched under Hermione's feet as the petite brunette witch made her way through the Hogwart's grounds. There was a fog still settled among the rolling hills in the background of the castle, with the sun peering weakly through the haze. Hermione shivered a little, wishing she had of taken the time to put her robes on, but in her hurry to leave she had only managed to pull on her school uniform and fasten her Head Girl badge.

As she focused on her destination, she could see the shadow of someone – or something – moving closer to the Whomping Willow. Hermione, being the (mostly) rule abiding witch she was, broke out into a run as fear gripped her. Her heart thudded in her chest as she thought of the possible first year about to fall victim to the violent tree, probably because of some stupid dare.

"Stop!" She called when she was close enough to be heard, still sprinting towards the shadow.

The person whipped around, presumably noticing Hermione, and then quickly disappeared.

"No!" Hermione gasped, and pushed her legs to run faster. When she finally reached the Whomping Willow, she skidded to a halt. It was eerily quiet. She glanced up at the grey branches, and wondered why they were not swinging wildly in an attempt to injure. She peered at the hole in the base of the trunk and swore under her breath. _They've probably gone down there,_ she reasoned.

Crouching down, Hermione positioned herself in front of the hole on all fours.

"Hello?" She called, but all she heard was her own voice echoing back at her. "Lumos," she muttered, pointing her wand into the darkness. She growled as the light was not able to cut through the darkness.

She shuffled forward a bit more, laying on her stomach. Without so much as a thought of what could go wrong, Hermione pushed herself forward with the intention of going after whoever had entered the passage to the Shrieking Shack. "...give them a piece of my mind," she huffed.

After a few moments of pushing her way into the hole, Hermione realised that she was no longer moving forward. She was half in, half out, her hands grappling at the sides of the narrow pathway, and her legs kicking desperately at the dirt on the other side.

"Oh, crap!" Hermione whimpered as her wand slipped from her grasp and clattered to the floor. It appeared that, while she had slipped through the hole quite easily four years ago when she was fourteen and had yet to hit puberty, now that she was eighteen and had filled out, her curvy hips were too wide to enable her to squeeze through.

Hermione heaved and tugged, but it was no use. She heard movement from outside the Whomping Willow and paused to listen. She heard tittering and giggling and Hermione felt her face flush.

_It was a trap,_ she realised. Set up by her peers. She blinked back tears as she thought of how delighted most of the school would be to hear about the Head Girl finally getting her comeuppance. She knew she was overbearing and intimidating...but she was also kind hearted and fair. Her actions did not seem, at least to her, worthy of this kind of punishment.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Hermione froze at the muffled sound of the voice. She would know that voice anywhere. It was the Head Boy, though she would have bet her entire Gringott's account that he was not there to help her, which was saying quite a bit as she had received quite a large sum of Galleons from the Ministry after the war as a thank you.

"Granger appears to have gotten herself..._stuck_." A female voice said.

The Head Boy chuckled, "It also appears that she fancies herself a bit of a Slytherin."

Hermione scowled, but swallowed the scream that threatened to rip from her throat.

"Nice knickers," the Head Boy observed, "though I never pegged you for one to wear _green_ underthings, Granger. Tell me, does your brassier match?"

A group of girls tittered and Hermione flushed an even brighter shade of red, thankful for a fleeting moment that they could not see her face.

There was a pause when Hermione could hear them talking, but could not quite make out what they were saying.

"Ok, Granger," the Head Boy was back. "Your fan club has gone. Seriously, what did you do to piss them off?"

She felt his hands on her hips and she squealed.

"Let go of me, Malfoy!" She yelped and she felt his hands disappear.

"Stop screaming you idiot!" He hissed back, "I'm trying to help!"

Hermione grumbled, but allowed him to place his hands back on her hips.

"You better not be trying anything disgusting!" She yelled back, her mind conjuring images of a magical camera capturing a moving image of Draco dry humping the air behind her.

Draco scoffed, "Don't get your Slytherin panties in a knot."

"Wow, you're really stuck." He grumbled a few minutes later.

"No shit," Hermione said sarcastically. There was a pause, then Draco laughed.

"Hermione Granger, the pure Goddess of Gryffindor said a _swear word_. I should alert the press."

"Ha ha," Hermione muttered though she knew he would not hear her.

"Ok, Granger, I'm going to have to go and get my wand. I left it when I ran down here to save your del-...I mean, sorry arse." He cleared his throat, "don't go anywhere, ok?" Hermione could hear the smirk in his voice before he laughed heartily at his own joke.

She sighed and flopped forward, dangling limply from the hole. She shut her eyes and tried to breathe deeply in the hope that by the time she was freed from this hell hole, her face would not be as crimson as it currently felt.

_Of all the people,_ she silently moaned, _of ALL the people who could have come to my rescue it had to be Draco sodding Malfoy._

She was still ranting away in her head when she heard him return.

"Miss me?" He drawled. Hermione rolled her eyes and clamped her teeth together.

She heard him mutter something and she felt the tightness around her midsection dissipate. Finally, with the help of Draco, she was able to wriggle free and push herself backwards until she lay belly down on the grass beside the trunk of the tree.

She closed her eyes and breathed in. She had not realised how stale the air was down in the hole.

"You're welcome," Draco smirked as he stood over her, holding out her wand.

"Thank you," she muttered, pushing herself into a sitting position and pocketing her wand. She raised her eyebrows when she realised his hand was still outstretched.

"Alright, Granger?" He asked as he helped her to her feet. She immediately dropped his hand to start brushing the mud and leaves from the front of her shirt.

"Just dandy," she sighed, "I guess I deserved it, didn't I?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione glanced up at Draco, then at the Whomping Willow. She began to walk away, and heard him fall in to step beside her.

"I don't know," she huffed, "I guess I deserve to be pranked because of the way I am towards the students here...I know I'm pedantic and bossy, and I know I'm a stickler for rules – "

"As I recall, you have not always stuck to the rules, Granger." Draco quirked an eyebrow at her but she was not looking at him.

She snorted, "That was different. All I wanted was for one _peaceful_ year at Hogwarts, what with all the crap we have had to put up with in previous years."

"You know, sometimes it's ok to break _some_ rules."

"I know that," Hermione sighed, "I know I should loosen up, but I can't. I'm not like that...I'm not fun."

Draco raised his eyebrows, throwing his hand out to stop her moving forward.

"I have fun with you," he murmured as she came to a sudden halt.

"What?" Hermione said with a laugh. "All we do is argue."

"I enjoy our arguments," Draco said stiffly, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Great," Hermione rolled her eyes. "I find out there is someone who finds me enjoyable, and it turns out to be the bully who has tormented me and my friends for years. And to top it off, it's our _arguments_ that he enjoys. Don't I feel just fantastic."

Draco let her rant for a few moments before he cut her off, "Are you done yet?"

"I – " Hermione snapped her mouth shut and turned on her heel.

"Wait!" Draco jogged after her and tugged on her wrist.

"What?!" She spat.

"I wasn't finished," he snapped back, "Merlin, woman, do you _ever_ let anyone finish a sentence before you go off on some tangent about how unfair life is to you?"

Hermione glared at him and opened her mouth to retort but he placed a hand over it.

"No," he shook his head, "for once in your life, shut up and listen. You're not the only one with half a brain in your head. I know hanging out with Potter and Weasley for most of your life has taught you that the majority of people cannot think for themselves, and that you are the gifted soul whose job is to make sure everyone is ok. But it's bullshit, Granger. They needed you because they _do_ only have half a brain between them."

Draco felt Hermione bare her teeth and bite into the flesh of his fingers, but he continued.

"I'm. Not. Potter." He enunciated. "And I am sure as hell not Weasley either. I'm more than capable of looking after myself, and I'm more than capable of keeping up with you intellectually. I was made Head Boy for a reason. I am just one person who you do not need to babysit. There are many more out there who are exactly the same. So stop parading yourself around like you're everybody's mother, and relax for fuck's sake."

He let go of her mouth and she licked her lips. "Why do you like arguing with me?" She demanded.

"Because you're smart," Draco said slowly, his gaze lifting to somewhere above her left shoulder, "and you look...I don't know."

"I look what?"

Draco ran a hand through his hair, causing it to fall across his face. With a flick, it settled again to rest across his forehead.

"You look beautiful," he murmured. "Your face flushes, your hands ball in to fists, and you get this look in your eye that just...I don't know. It _does_ something to me." He shivered and Hermione felt her jaw drop.

"So...so..." Hermione squeezed her eyes shut in the hopes of preventing the world from spinning. She felt as if it had been tipped on its axis.

"I like you, Granger." Draco said as he stepped closer.

"Well, I don't like _you,_ Malfoy," Hermione retorted as her eyes snapped open. She took a step backwards only to find herself against a wall. She winced as the cold from the stone seeped into her jumper.

"Liar," Draco breathed as he took another step forward, effectively boxing her in.

"I'm not lying!" Hermione insisted, her wide brown eyes searching for a way around him. He was entirely too close. He smelt of apples and spicy cologne.

"Yes, you are. You like our arguing just as must as I do. I know, because I've seen it in those pretty little eyes of yours when you're yelling at me. It's the same look you get when you know the answer in class, and when you read something that interests you."

Hermione felt her jaw slacken as he took a final step forward, pressing his body into the front of hers.

"I don't – "

"Shut up, Granger," he whispered, his grey eyes dropping to her parted lips.

"Draco..." Hermione warned, but her use of his first name seemed to snap something inside the blonde and he crashed his lips to hers in a bruising kiss.

His hands rested on the wall near her head, but soon moved to tangle in her hair, pulling until she felt her head snap back to give him better access to her mouth. She placed her hands on his chest and pushed, attempting to stop him but he gripped the back of her neck and swiped his tongue along her lower lip. She gasped in surprise, having never been kissed this way before, and he took the opportunity to plunge his tongue inside her mouth.

She felt her eyelids flutter as the sensation travelled south, stirring parts of her anatomy she never knew existed. She stopped pushing against his chest, slowly moving her hands to rest on his shoulders before linking them behind his neck. In retaliation, she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled. He moaned and pressed her harder into the wall.

"Admit it," he said against her lips as they came up for air, "you like me."

Hermione glared up at him, her chest heaving with the attempt to draw enough air into her lungs. She noticed the sparkle in his eyes that she would have sworn was not there before their kiss, and the goofy grin he was wearing which made him so much more handsome than his trademark sneer.

"Oh, Merlin," she muttered as realisation hit her, "I like Draco Malfoy."

Draco's smile widened. "There," he said with a nod, "wasn't so hard was it?"

He pushed himself away from the wall and began walking back towards the entrance hall, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

Hermione stood there, still leaning against the stone as she watched his retreating form in shock. Her hands balled into fists as she felt her cheeks burn in anger.

"MALFOY!" She screamed, but he did not turn around. She heard him laugh though, the sound echoing around her long after he had disappeared behind the double wooden doors.


End file.
